aspect

American  

[as-pekt] / ˈæs pɛkt /

noun

• aspects
  plural

1. appearance to the eye or mind; look.

   the physical aspect of the country.

2. nature; quality; character.

   the superficial aspect of the situation.

3. a way in which a thing may be viewed or regarded; interpretation; view.

   both aspects of a decision.

4. part; feature; phase.

   That is the aspect of the problem that interests me most.

5. facial expression; countenance.

   He wore an aspect of gloom. Hers was an aspect of happy optimism.

6. bearing; air; mien.

   warlike in aspect.

7. view commanded; exposure.

   The house has a southern aspect.

   Synonyms:

   outlook, prospect

8. the side or surface facing a given direction.

   the dorsal aspect of a fish; the northern aspect of the house.

9. Grammar.

   1. a category or interrelated set of categories for which the verb is inflected in some languages, typically to indicate the duration, repetition, completion, or quality of the action or state denoted by the verb.

   2. a set of syntactic devices, as in the English perfect with have in I have gone, with functions similar to such inflections.

   3. any of the members or instances of these categories or sets.

      the Latin perfect aspect; the Russian imperfect aspect.

   4. the meaning of, or meaning typical of, such a category or construction.

   5. such categories or constructions, or their meanings collectively.

10. Astrology.

    1. the angular distance between two points as seen from the earth, primarily derived by dividing the 360 degrees of the zodiac by the integers 1 through 12.

    2. the influence of any two planets or groups of planets located at such points.

11. Archaic. a look; glance.

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aspect British  

/ ˈæspɛkt /

noun

1. appearance to the eye; visual effect

   the physical aspect of the landscape

2. a distinct feature or element in a problem, situation, etc; facet

   to consider every aspect of a problem

3. the way in which a problem, idea, etc, may be considered

   to consider a problem from every aspect

4. a facial expression; manner of appearing

   a severe aspect

5. a position facing a particular direction; outlook

   the southern aspect of a house

6. a view in a certain direction

   a good aspect of the village from the tower

7. a surface that faces in a given direction

   the ventral aspect of a fish

8. astrology any of several specific angular distances between two planets or a planet and the Ascendant or Midheaven measured, from the earth, in degrees along the ecliptic

9. grammar a category of verbs or verbal inflections that expresses such features as the continuity, repetition, or completedness of the action described Compare perfective progressive progressive

10. botany

    1. the compass direction to which a plant habitat is exposed, or the degree of exposure

    2. the effect of the seasons on the appearance of plants

11. archaic glance or gaze

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Synonym Usage

See appearance.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• aspects
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aspect

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin aspectus “appearance, visible form, the action of looking at,” equivalent to aspec- (variant stem of aspicere “to observe, look at,” from a- a- ⁵ + -spicere, combining form of specere “to see”) + -tus suffix of verbal action

Explanation

Aspect means a part or feature of something. If you are going to vote for a candidate, you should first learn about the various aspects of her political agenda. At the heart of the word aspect is the Latin specere "look" (think spectacles). Later, the word became connected to the idea of what can be seen from a particular position. Whether that means you can see all of something (all aspects) or only part (one aspect) depends on where you are standing and how hard you are looking.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aspect aspects

As the authors firmly declare, food “is entwined with every aspect of life, integral to the biology of who we are and a vital constituent of our social selves: our identity, our culture.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

It was "probably... the first time" a captain is arrested over "the commercial aspect" rather than safety issues, for example, he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

The kind of more simple aspect, especially when I was restoring the boat, was that it felt a lot purer and simpler.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

"It is uniquely challenging and tough," he continued, adding that "mental health is another aspect of individual health and requires our attention just like physical health and spiritual health".

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

It was a station-platform kiss—spontaneous enough to begin with, but rather inhibited in the follow-through, and with somewhat of a forehead-bumping aspect.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

Gut bacteria have already been connected with numerous aspects of health, including metabolic, neurodegenerative, and cardiovascular diseases.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

But experts said some aspects of the bureau’s release raise fundamental questions.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

The letters form a bridge, one that may not allow you to let go completely and free yourself from the more difficult aspects of this estrangement.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

GM is targeting aspects of Ford’s electric-vehicle battery strategy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

But other aspects of her job continued to be dangerous, and sometimes the peril came from an unexpected direction.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• facet
• feature
• phase
• prospect
• situation
• view